Shushi City

Shushi was founded in 1752 and was granted city status in 1840. It is one of the key cultural and strategic centers of Medieval Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Shushi is located in the Varanda province, on a high plateau which, due to its naturally inaccessible position, served for centuries as a fortress of defense for the local Armenian population. According to historical sources, during the early Middle Ages, the fortress was known as Shikakhar. In the mid-9th century, Prince Sahl Smbatyan achieved a major victory here against Arab invaders, liberating the captured Armenian population. This event made Shushi one of the early centers of the Armenian national liberation struggle. In late medieval sources, Shushi is also mentioned under different names: Karaglukh, Kar, Shoshi Fortress, etc. It is often referred to as Shoshi sghnakh (militia stronghold), as during enemy invasions, residents of the nearby village of Shosh and the Varanda province would take refuge there. At the beginning of the 18th century, the Shoshi Fortress became a vital strategic point in the Armenian liberation movement. It was rebuilt and fortified by Armenian commanders, who are mentioned as the defenders and lords of the fortress. In the 19th century, Shushi developed into a major center of trade, craftsmanship, and culture. It had printing houses, schools, theaters, and became one of the northeastern centers of Armenian culture. The city especially flourished under the Russian Empire, becoming one of the leading cities of the Caucasus.